A question for the group. . . what goes into your decision about which gun you carry? Do you tend to stick with one brand / caliber?
I know for me, reliability and safety is my first concern. After that is caliber, although we have so many good ammo choices nowadays, it just about doesn't matter, unless barrier penetration is a concern (it isn't for most self defense situations). Then form factor. . . I carry subcompacts these days, mostly for their concealment options. For self defense, I don't see a reason to carry a larger frame handgun. If I was being paid to carry for work etc. then larger, more capacity options make more sense.
I'm not a "brand" fanboy. . .I like them all. I have a Glock 27 that I carry mostly, but I just requalified with my Springfield XDs .45 ACP and I gotta say, that 45 is much easier on my arthritic hands than the G27. The XDs is also much thinner and easier to conceal this time of year, so I've been carrying that in recent days. I also have a Taurus PT709 that is also very good--reliable, very concealable and shoots straight. My wife has a Walther PDP-F with an optic. . . .that's a sweet shooter too! It's nice to have choices.